Supt. Horne statement on recent departures of district superintendents in Apache Jct. and west valley

For immediate release: April 13, 2023
Contact: [email protected]

Supt. Horne statement on recent departures of district superintendents in Apache Jct. and west valley

PHOENIX - Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne issued the following statement today in response to the recent dismissal of the superintendent of the Apache Jct. Unified District and resignation of the Liberty Elementary District superintendent: 

“There have been disruptive protests against newly elected, academically oriented school boards that are seeking new academically oriented district superintendents.

Apache Junction has, under old leadership, three of its five schools rated as “C” schools. It has a new majority of three academically oriented school board members. They are naturally seeking a new academically oriented superintendent and arrived at a mutual agreement with the old superintendent to part ways.

At a meeting to discuss this, protesters were unruly.  Some school board members received a description from a taxpayer who was present, who described an ‘organized effort to disparage the majority decision. Students were released from class during school hours to allegedly protest this mutual agreement and disrupt this public meeting, placing children in danger.’ At a follow up school board meeting, he observed ‘another organized effort to intimidate, shame and verbally assault the school board members…’.

He observed that disruptive behavior by students was ‘presented and supervised by teachers…’.

There was also a protest at a meeting of the Liberty Elementary District School Board, which also has a newly elected majority of academically oriented school board members. They were ‘accused’ of planning to implement a ‘classic traditional education model’.

The news account quoted a principal of the Freedom Elementary School (a C-rated school), Tony Reynolds, as stating at the meeting: ‘It's important to make your position as a board known on curriculum, social emotional learning and restorative justice... If you do intend to implement a classic traditional education model, you need to have people whose values align who will implement your vision. That person is not me.’ That is not an academically oriented principal.

It is a positive development for the academic performance of our schools when academically oriented school board members replace those that are not so inclined.”

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